Self loading fuse box



H. F. SCHMIDT SELF LOADING FUSE BOX Filed March 10. 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 A llomey WWW Aug. 23, 1932. H. F. SCHMIDT SELF LOADING FUSE BOX Filed March 10, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 r I I I r I I r phen A Home y Aug. 23, 1932. H. F. SCHMIDT 1,373,488

' SELF LOADING FUSE BOX Filed March 10, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor Q By 4% n A'llomey Patented Aug. 23, 1932 UNITED STATES 2 mm: a. sem nar, on comm. Iowa Lonnie rusn Box Application filedlarch 10, 1931'. Serial 170. 521,541,

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in fuseflboxes, and the primary object of thisinvention is to provide what may be termed a self loading fuse 6 box. a

A very'importantv object of the present invention is to provide a fuse box that may be arranged in any electric circuit requiring fuse boxes, and is'adapted, upon the burning 10 out of one fuse to automaticallyplace in the circuit a new fuse for reestablishing the circuit. Other objects and advantages of "the in vention will become apparent from a study of the following description, taken. in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: 1

Figure 1 is an elevational view of afuse or box embodying'the features of the present invention, the same being shown mounted on a suitable support.

Figure 2 is a vertical through.v r p c Figure 3 is asectional-view takensubstantially onthe line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional elevational view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

a, Figure 5 is a side elevational viewofa rotatable spool or magazine. i

Figure 6 is a fragmentary detail sectional elevational View for clearly illustrating a brake structure forming part of the invention.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a" contact member forming'part of the invention.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through a modified form of the in"- vention.

Figure 9 is a front elevational view sectional view there'- thereof.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a fuse.

With reference more in detail to the drawings, it will be seen that I provide a box or casing including two sections comprising a bottom section 5 and a cover'section 6 hingedly connected together as at 7 and provided with suitable means 8 for securing the sections in closed condition withrespect to one another.

Each of the sections have opposite walls thereof suitably recessed so. that when the sections are in superimposed relation, the recesses thereof provide bearings 9 for accommodating the shaft 10 of'aspoolor mag- I azine that includes a pair of oppositely disposed disks or flanges 11 integral with the shaft'10'. A suitable spring device 12 is provided for normally urging the spool to rotate in one direction. N

The spool or magazine is of any suitable non-conducting material, and 13 are fusible conducting wires which are secured in parallelism to the conducting plates 14 secured in relatively spaced circumferential relation 65 to the flangesor disks 11 as at 15. The conducting plates 14 include a body portion contacting with one face of the disk, and an arcuate flange portionsecured to the periphcry of the disk. (SeeFigure 7).

Each ofthe plates 14 has integral with the flanged part thereof a contact finger 16. EX tending inwardly from one wall of casing section 5, in the path of the contact fingers 16 are contact jaws 17 provided with termi- T nal posts 18 for accommodating the wires of the circuit. The circuit is closed therefor through the contact j aws 17 a pair of contact fingers 16 engaging therewith and a fuse wire 13 connecting said contact fingers 16'.

A crankshaft 19 is journalled in brackets 2(1 provided therefor within casing section 5, and the crank shaft 19 is provided with a crank arm 21 provided with a block ofnonconducting material 22 engaging the fusible wire 13 connecting the pairof contact fingers 16 engaging the contact jaws 17.

Shaft 19 is provided with an arm23 which arm at its free end is provided with a set screw 24 engageable with one end of a bell crank 25 pivoted intermediate its ends as at 26 within the casing section 5. The said end of said bell crank 25 is normally engaged with arm 23 through the medium of a suitable adjustable spring device 27 sothat shaft I9 is normally urged to rotate in one direction for retaining block 22 in engagement with a fuse wire.

Acting oppositely to the spring'device' 12 and offering resistanceto the spool or magazine to prevent the same from rotating freely under action of the spring device 12, there is provided a segmental brake shoe 28 pivoted at one end, and at its free end having a link connection 29 with the free end of bell crank 25. Brake shoe 28 is normally retained in frictional engagement with an end of the shaft 10, by reason of the fact thatthe spool or magazine normally urged to rotate in one direction will through the medium of the fusible wire 13 engaging block 22 normally urge shaft 19 to rotate in the required direction for swinging bell crank 25 sufiiciently about its pivot 26 as to cause an upward pull on the free end of the brake shoe 28 as is thought apparent.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that should. for anyone of the many reasons to those skilled in the art. the fuse wire 13 engaging block 22 becomes fused. the spring device 27 will act on the bell crank 25 for rotating the same in an anti-clockwise direc tion thus decreasing frictional contact between the brake shoe 28 and the shaft 10, whereupon the drum or magazine under action of spring 19. will rotate in a clockwise direction. and therebv bring the next adjacent fuse wire 18 into engagement with the block 22: and with the fuse wire 13 so engaged with the block F22 it will be apparent that as the contact fingers 16 connected by said fuse wire move into engagement with the contact jaws 17. shaft 19 will be rotated in an anticlockwise direction and by reason of the engagement of arm 23 with the bell crank lever 25 the latter will then be rotated against the action of the spring device 27 in a c ockwise direction to r engage the shoe 28' In that form of the invention shown in.

Figures 8 to 10 inclusive, I provide a board 30 of suitable non-conducting material, and on one side of the board provide a pair of lugs 31 between which is rotatably mounted a shaft 32 provided with a pair of spaced arms 33 and normally urged in one direction through the medium of a suitable spring device 34.

Arms 33 at their free ends are connected by a fuse which includes a block 35 of nonconducting material, thickened at its opposlte ends, and at said ends'provided with ternnnal posts 36 to which are connected the ends of a fusible wire 37. At the ends of the block 35 are provided contact fingers 38.

Adjacent the lower end of the board 30 is a pair of relatively spaced contacts respectively provided with upper and lower contact jaws 39 and 40 between which are arranged the terminal screws 41. A fuse consists of a bar 42 of insulating material and which is provided intermediate its ends with a notch 44. Suitably secured to the bar 42 at each end thereof is a metallic plate 45 having integral therewith a contact blade 45'. The plates 45 are connected by a fuse wire 43, and it will be apparent that when the contact blades 45 are engaged with the lowermost pairs of jaws 40 the circuit will be closed through the jaws 40 and the fuse.

Above the upper jaws 39 is a suitable cushion block 46 of an appropriate material. A 80 latch bar 47 is pivoted as at 48 to the board 30 and at said pivoted end extends through an opening 49 provided in the board for engagement with a projection 50 provided intermediate the ends of the fuse bar 35. At its free end the latch bar 47 is pivoted to the upper end of a control link 51, the free end of which extends through a slot 52 in board 30 and suitably provided to engage the fuse wire 43 as shown.

From the foregoing it will be apparent then that upon fusing of wire 43, arms 33 will be free to swing downwardly under action of spring device 34 so that the contact fingers 38 will engage with the contactjaws 39 placing the fuse electrically connected with the fingers 38 in the circuit for reestablishing the circuit.

To prevent the placing of two fuses in the circuit at the same time, as may be occa sioned, should latch 47 be displaced or moved out of engagement with projection 50 because of arring or for some other reason other than the fusing of wire 43, there is provided on the fuse block 35 a knife or suitable cutting device 53. Obviously then upon such a happening, when the fingers 38 move into engagement with the contact jaws 39, knife 53 will sever the fusible wire 43, notch 44 accommodating the knife for this purpose thus no breaking the circuit through the fuse engaging the contacts 40 and reestablishing the circuit through the fuse now in electrical engagement with the contacts 39.

Even though I have herein shown and described the preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is susceptible to further changes, modifications and improvements coming within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In a device of the character described, a pair of relatively fixed contacts having pairs of contact jaws, a fuse supported between two 135 of said contact jaws, a spring actuated carrier, means pivotally mounting said carrier, a fuse mounted thereon, and a pair of contact fingers in electrical connection with said fuse and arranged for engagement with the re U maining jaws of said pairs of contact jaws for introducing the second fuse into the circuit upon fusing of the wire of the first mentioned fuse.

2. In combination with a fusible wire arranged in an electric circuit, of a pivotally mounted spring actuated member provided with a fuse wire arranged for introduction into the circuit upon the fusing of the first mentioned wire, a pivotally mounted latch engageable with said member, and a link pivotally connected with said latch and having a free end engageable with the fuse wire inthe circuit for normally retainingsaidlatch in engagement with said member to prevent movement of said member.

3. A device of the character describedcomprising a pair of relatively spaced contacts having pairs of contact jaws, a fuse supported between two of said contact jaws, a pair of relatively spaced pivotally mounted arms, spring means normally urging said arms in one direction, a fuse connecting said arms and including a fusible wire, contact fingers in electrical connection with said second-named fuse and adapted for engagement with said contact jaws for introducing said second fuse in the circuit, a pivotally mounted latch engageable at one end with said second named fuse, and a link pivotally connected with said latch and engageable at one end with the fusible wire of the first mentioned fuse for normally retaining said arms against movement.

4. A device of the character described comprising a pair of relatively spaced contacts arranged in an electrical circuit, and respectively provided with a pair of contact jaws, a fuse supported between two of said contact jaws and including a fusible Wire, a pair of relatively spaced pivotally mounted arms, spring means normally urging said arms in one direction, a fuse connecting the free ends of said arms and including a fusible wire, contact fingers in electrical connection with said fuse and adapted for engagement with said contact jaws for introducing said second fuse in the circuit, a pivotally mounted latch engageable at one end with said second named fuse, and a link pivotally connected with said latch and engageable at one end with the fusible wire of the first mentioned fuse for normally retaining said arms against movement, and means for severing the fusible wire of the first mentioned fuse upon displacement of said latch.

5. A self loading fuse box comprising in combination a spring actuated magazine provided with a series of fuses arranged for successive introduction into the circuit by the movement of the magazine, and means for releasing said magazine comprising a pivotally mounted brake shoe arranged to frictionally engage the shaft of the magazine, a pivotally mounted bell crank connected with the shoe 

